Hello! I’m so glad you’re here for a fun story. Today, we’re going to enjoy a book called “My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother” by Patricia Polacco. Let’s dive into this exciting tale!
Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived with her family on a farm in Union City, Michigan. She lived with her mom, her brother Richard, and her grandparents. Her grandmother, who she called Bubbie, was amazing at telling stories that made everything seem magical. Plus, Bubbie made the yummiest chocolate cake ever!
After Bubbie told a story, the girl and her brother would always ask, “Bubbie, is that true?” Bubbie would laugh and say, “Of course it’s true, but it may not have happened!”
The girl loved her grandmother very much, but she couldn’t understand why Bubbie liked her older brother, Richard, so much. Richard had orange hair and freckles, and he loved to tease her. He was nice when Bubbie was around, but as soon as she left, he would do something to annoy her.
Richard always said he could do everything better than his sister. One day, he challenged her to pick more blackberries than he could. He picked so many that his record lasted for years!
The girl wanted to find something she could do better than Richard. She thought of a plan. “Hey, Richie,” she said, “Do you like rhubarb?” Richard said it was the sourest thing ever. She challenged him to eat more raw rhubarb than she could without making a face. To her surprise, Richard loved it and ate more than she did!
That night, the girl felt sad and couldn’t eat her dinner. Bubbie noticed and came to sit with her. Bubbie pointed out a falling star and said that wishes made on falling stars can come true. The girl wished she could do something better than her brother.
The next day, a carnival came to town. Richard challenged her to eat more hot dogs than he could, but she had a different idea. That night, she went to the merry-go-round and stayed on it longer than Richard. But she got dizzy and fell off, and her family had to take her home.
When she woke up, her family was there, and Richard told her he had carried her home. After that, their relationship changed. She thanked him, and he smiled, saying, “What’s a big brother for?”
That night, they all slept outside under the stars. Bubbie reminded them that wishes can come true in unexpected ways. She squeezed their hands and shared a special blessing.
In the end, they all held hands and fell asleep under the twinkling stars.
I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. Thank you for joining me for this wonderful story time. See you next time!
Storytelling with a Twist: Just like Bubbie, try creating your own magical story! Think about a fun or silly event that happened to you or someone you know. Add a magical twist to it, like talking animals or a secret treasure. Share your story with your family or friends and see if they can guess which parts are true and which are made up. Remember, it’s okay if it didn’t really happen!
Sibling Challenge: Just like the girl and Richard, think of a fun challenge you can do with a sibling or a friend. It could be who can hop on one foot the longest or who can draw the silliest monster. After the challenge, talk about how it felt to compete and what you learned about each other. Did you discover something new about your sibling or friend?
Wishing on Stars: On a clear night, go outside with a family member and look at the stars. Try to find a shooting star, or just pick a bright star to make a wish on. Talk about what you wished for and why. Discuss how sometimes wishes can come true in ways we don’t expect, just like in the story. What are some things you can do to help your wish come true?
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi there! Welcome to Screen Actors Guild Foundation BookPALS. I am Melissa Gilbert, the President of Screen Actors Guild, and I’m excited to read to you today the book “My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother” by Patricia Polacco.
Here we go! My brother, our mother, and I all lived with my grandparents on their farm in Union City, Michigan. My grandmother, or Bubbie, knew how to tell a good story and make ordinary things magical. She also made the best chocolate cake! After sharing a tale from her homeland, my brother and I would always ask, “Bubbie, is that true?” She would respond, “Of course it’s true, but it may not have happened!” and then laugh.
I knew she loved me, but I struggled to understand how she could like my older brother, Richard. He had orange hair and freckles and often teased me. When Bubbie was around, he was nice, but as soon as she left, he would do something to upset me.
There were many things I couldn’t stand about him. The worst was that he always claimed he could do everything better than I could. One day, he challenged me to pick more blackberries than he could. To my dismay, he set a record that stood for years.
I thought there had to be something I could do better than him. Then I had an idea. “Oh, Richie,” I said, “Do you like rhubarb?” He replied that it was the sourest stuff on the planet. I challenged him to eat more raw rhubarb than I could without making a face. To my frustration, he ended up loving it and ate more than I did.
That night at dinner, I could hardly eat, and my Bubbie noticed. At bedtime, she came to sit with me and pointed out a falling star. She told me that wishes on falling stars come true. I decided to wish for something I could do better than my brother.
The next morning, a traveling carnival set up nearby. Richard challenged me to eat more hot dogs than he could, but I had a different plan. That night, I ran to the merry-go-round and stayed on it longer than he did. However, I ended up falling off and had to be taken home.
When I woke up, my family was there, and Richard told me he had carried me home. Our relationship changed after that. I thanked him, and he smiled, saying, “What’s a big brother for?”
That night, we all slept outside under the stars. Bubbie reminded us that wishes can come true in unexpected ways. She squeezed our hands and shared a heartfelt blessing.
In the end, we all held hands and drifted off to sleep.
Well, I hope you enjoyed that as much as I enjoyed reading it to you. Thank you for joining me for SAG Foundation BookPALS. Bye!
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This version maintains the essence of the story while removing any potentially sensitive or inappropriate content.
